Forgotten Friends
by Oceangoddess
Summary: What if Jack and Arabella met when they were five? Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or any of its characters.


"Come on Jackie," Teague said.

Teague was walking toward the Faithful Bride at night in Tortuga with his five year old son walking closely by him. Jack didn't like this place. Everyone was drunk, dirty, smelly, dangerous, and occasionally someone threw up. It was a scary place for a five year old. Teague knew that if Jack's mother found out he brought her son to one of the most dangerous places in the Caribbean she would yell at him more than the time he lost Jack when he wasn't even a year old.

"Now remember Jackie, if your mother asks what did we do while the crew was off celebrating in Tortuga?"

"We were on the _Misty Lady_ and you were teaching me addition," Jack recited.

"Good boy."

"But what if she tests me to see if you really did teach me addition," he asked.

"What's two plus two?"

"Four?"

"Very good, if she asks you anything else just say you fell asleep before we got any further."

They finally reached the doors of the Faithful Bride and they walked in. As they looked around they found a spot in the back. Jack and Teague walked over and soon a woman with auburn hair came and asked what Teague wanted. He replied rum and she hurried off. It was a busy night in the tavern and there were many criminals ordering for drinks.

"Stay close Jackie, this place is full of men you don't want to annoy."

"Okay, so what do you want to do," Jack asked.

"Well I'm going to drink my rum and you're going to sit there and not move."

Jack sighed dramatically. "Why couldn't I stay on the ship?"

"I can't leave you alone on the pirate ship the Navy would give half its fleet to find!"

"Yeah, here is _so_ much safer," Jack muttered under his breath so Teague wouldn't hear.

Then the lady came back with Teague's rum. He paid her and then started to drink. Jack sighed again.

"Want to play pirates?"

"First of all Jackie _I am_ a pirate so I don't have to 'play' pirates and second, no."

Arabella Smith sat on the stairs in the Faithful Bride that led up to the second floor of the building where her family lived. The patrons in the tavern couldn't see her since the stairs were in the back, practically hidden by the shadows. The people who sat near the stairs couldn't see the five year old since a wall was built on one side of the stairs to hide them even further. But if Arabella went to the bottom of the stairs and peeked out she could see her mother serving rum to pirates. Her father was upstairs. He had told Laura that he was fixing some chairs but he was actually drinking. Arabella figured he was probably passed out by now.

She was listening to some sailors recount a story about a vicious storm that they ran into a month ago when she heard some shouting. Arabella looked out to see _another_ fight, but as she scanned the room looking at all of the people her eyes landed on one face in particular.

Another kid! He was sitting with who was presumably his father at a table not to far by. He had a red bandana and looked about her age. Arabella couldn't believe her luck! She rarely saw any children. Sometimes she saw a few teenagers but children? In Tortuga most of the children who live there stay inside during the night and most definitely don't go anyway near taverns. Her eyes widened in excitement. She _had_ to meet to him.

Arabella looked around to make sure her mother wasn't looking. When she saw that Laura Smith was occupied keeping the fight under control she got on her hands and knees and crawled quickly under an empty table across from the one the boy was sitting at.

Jack was looking around the tavern; there was nothing else to do, when he saw a girl with auburn hair motioning him to come to her. He looked at his dad who was now telling an exaggerated story to someone Jack never met before. He slid out from his chair and under the table. Then he crawled over to the mysterious girl.

"Hi," she said. "My name's Arabella Smith. What's yer name?"

"I'm Jack Sparrow," he said his name proudly. "Wanna play pirates?"

"Okay, follow me."

Arabella led Jack to the alley behind the tavern without being noticed by either of their parents. It was a clear night and a few stars shone in the sky. They were the only ones in the alley.

"So how do we play?"

"Well I'm captain of the ship. What do you want to be?"

"Um…first mate. Now what?"

"Well first we need to find a ship."

Jack looked around. He found a barrel and tipped it over carefully on its side. He sat on it and motioned Arabella to do the same. They both barely fit.

"This is more like a boat than a ship," she said dryly.

"It's pretend!"

"Fine, so now we just imagine things happening?"

"Yeah, like right now we're in the middle of a giant hurricane," Jack said. He started to rock the barrel back and forth to create the illusion that their ship was being tossed around by waves. Arabella slipped off and fell on the ground.

"Man…woman…girl overboard," Jack screamed loudly.

Jack reached down and pulled Arabella back up onto the barrel.

"I saved your life!"

"No ye didn't I just fell."

"We're pretending remember?"

"Oh yeah."

They went on to play this game for the next two hours. During this time Jack and Arabella battled fierce monsters, wielded swords, attacked defenseless ships and discovered Atlantis. At one point they were so engrossed in their game they didn't notice a large, drunken man come up behind them.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," he slurred. Jack and Arabella were trapped. "A small wench and…wait…could it be? Teague's son?"

"Teague? Whose Teague? My dad's name is Larry," he lied unconvincingly.

"Liar! Your father stole the woman I loved!"

"How," Arabella asked innocently.

The man growled.

"I think it's better we don't know," Jack said as he grabbed Arabella's hand. They charged right at the man and then ducked under his legs at the last second. They were now alone in the swarming streets of Tortuga.

"This way," Arabella shouted. They ran across the street. The drunken man was about to follow them when a cart rolled down the street blocking his way. By the time it moved the kids were gone.

"Why is he trying to take his anger out on ye," Arabella asked once they were safely hidden behind some barrels.

"I don't know but this isn't the first time that has happened," Jack said remembering the last island he visited. "What I don't understand is how everyone can tell I'm related to Teague. Do we really look that much alike?"

"Yes."

"Lucky me," he muttered.

Then in one swift motion the man knocked the barrels aside revealing the two small children. Once again they took off with the man whose name they don't know following them.

"How did he find us," Arabella asked.

"We really shouldn't talk while we're trying to hide." Jack said. Then they had to stop running because of a particularly large brawl going on in front of them. "That gives me an idea!"

He dragged Arabella into the tavern they were standing in front of. The man who was chasing them was catching up.

"What on earth are ye doing," Arabella shrieked. Her mother had always made it very clear that other taverns were completely off limits. That they were dangerous and you could end up killed.

"Who is the biggest, meanest, most dangerous person here," Jack asked ignoring her question.

Arabella bit her lip and looked around. "Probably him," she said pointing to a huge, scarred man wearing swords and pistols by the dozen. He had tattoos covering almost all visible skin.

Jack motioned her to follow as he strolled up to the man.

"Are ye crazy? Yer gonna get us killed!"

"Trust me," he said. Then they reached the man. "Excuse me sir but I thought that you should know. You see that man standing by the door way looking around. He's looking for you. Called you a slimy bilge rat who couldn't keep down his rum or a woman," Jack said remembering what his Uncle Brannigan called someone once.

The dangerous man's eyes darkened. He drew his sword and launched himself at the other man. While they were fighting Jack and Arabella quickly made their exit and ran back to the Faithful Bride's alleyway.

"That was close," Arabella said once they were safe. Then they noticed that the sun started to peek over the horizon.

"That can't be good," Jack said.

"WAKE UP!"

Teague opened his eyes and groaned. He must've passed out. "Bugger," he muttered. Then he noticed an angry looking woman with auburn hair glaring at him.

"I don't care if you're the Keeper of the Code; you can't stay here after closing hours."

Teague slowly got up from his chair. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He looked around before asking in a panicked voice, "Did you see a five year old anywhere around here?"

"No."

Teague cursed. If Salina found out he lost Jack again…

"If my mother finds out I snuck out…" Arabella trailed off. The outcome was too horrible to contemplate.

"Well I have a plan but I need to come through the front door so I guess this is goodbye," Jack said sadly.

"Yer the first friend I've ever had," Arabella said close to tears that her friend was leaving. She kissed him on the cheek. Right after they heard a yell. "JACK!"

"I got to go, bye," Jack yelled over his shoulder as he ran to the front of the tavern.

"Bye!" Then Arabella turned to the door in the alley. She opened the door slowly and crept inside. She reached the stairs and was half way up when one of the boards creaked loudly. Laura looked toward the stairs and her eyes darkened.

"Arabella Smith! What are you doing up," she yelled.

"Um..."

"Were ye outside," and without waiting for an answer she continued, "At night!"

Arabella didn't bother to answer. Nothing she could say would get her out of trouble. It would just make her mother angrier. She was going to be in the most trouble she had ever been in but she didn't regret it. Arabella made her first friend.

Teague went outside the tavern to search for Jack. He didn't have to look very long. Jack was sitting outside of the tavern looking very bored.

"Why didn't you stay in the tavern," Teague yelled.

"It was starting to get rough in there so I went out here to wait for you," he said trying to look innocent.

Just then the man who chased him half the night appeared. He looked even worse than before. Probably from the fight he had gotten in. Jack inwardly groaned.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you. You thought that you could lose me?"

"You stayed out here all night huh," Teague asked dryly.

Then the man finally noticed Teague. "YOU! YOU STOLE MY WOMAN!"

Teague sighed. "That wasn't me Henry that was Mr. Stroff."

"…Oh yeah…" Then Henry walked away looking confused.

Jack's jaw dropped. After everything that happened he could just walk away?

"Now where were you again," Teague asked.

Jack sighed. "I was playing with a friend when Henry over there ran up to us and just started yelling about how you stole his woman. We had no choice but to run away from the tavern and lose him."

"If you would've stayed in the tavern you wouldn't have had to run."

"If you listened to mom we wouldn't be in Tortuga and I wouldn't have had to stay in the tavern."

Teague sighed. His son was too clever for his age. "How about this, you don't get in trouble for running off and I don't get in trouble for taking you to Tortuga. Do we have an accord," Teague said and held out his hand. Jack shook it.

As they walked back to the ship Jack sadly took one last glance over his shoulder at the Faithful Bride.

In time Jack and Arabella would soon forget about each other. When they would see each other again eleven years later they would eventually become friends, not knowing that they already had.

**I'm sorry I haven't posted anything lately. School is over in two days and I've been busy with finals and my grandpa was living with us for the last month (he left yesterday). Overall its been a stressful month but I'm back! Please review! **


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